


Family Dinner

by anonymousdragon



Series: West Family Reunion [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-15 03:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11797275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousdragon/pseuds/anonymousdragon
Summary: That AU where Francine West is Leonard Snart's Aunt, part 3--> Iris organizes a get together





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Vaguely set in an AU where Flashpoint and Legends didn't happen, so summer after season 2 loosely?

“So,” Iris plopped down on the couch next to her brother—and it was still so strange to think those words and have Wally as the person associated with them—“Do we have any more relatives who Dad’s been keeping from me?”

“Ah, Iris, you know Joe wouldn’t,” Wally began, scratching at his head and just in general sounding about as convincing as Barry did when she caught him in a lie.

“He wouldn’t, huh?” She said. “Because we both know of times he did.”

“Look, it’s just, they said Joe made it quite clear they weren’t welcome in the family, and I don’t know if they’d even want to meet you.” His engineering homework was spread out on the coffee table in front of them. In some ways it was weird being back in her dad’s house, especially since she had thought she would have definitively moved out by now, not this awkward yo-yo-ing back and forth between her childhood room and various adult apartments.

“I’m not some parasitic offshoot of my dad, Wally. Can’t you at least ask them?” She was uncomfortable with these notions about her father. The idea that maybe he wasn’t always the hero she had grown up thinking he was.

He shrugged and she pulled out her big guns.

“Listen, Wally. I’m doing you a favor by asking. If they don’t want to meet, fine, but you can bet I’ll be going to City Hall tomorrow, promptly at eight am, and digging up all the records they have on our family. Mom and Dad’s marriage license will be there, information about any aunts or uncles on Mom’s side of the family will be heartbeats away as soon as I get those records.” She was not an investigative journalist for nothing. If she could not turn her finely crafted skills onto ferreting out family secrets, what was the point?

Wally groaned. “Look, I’ll text Lisa. She said something about how she used to play with you when I told her about the whole moving in with Joe thing, but like, if she’s not interested, the others won’t be either.”

“How many?” She asked. “Wally, I’ve spent my whole life thinking my entire living family was Dad, I just want to know what I’ve missed.” And maybe that was a slight exaggeration. Grandma Esther had passed away while Iris was in high school, but since then it was just Iris and her dad and Barry, who Iris was never quite sure if she wanted to think of as a brother.

Wally shut his textbook and turned to look at her. “There are three that I know, but only one of them is related to us by blood.”

Iris opened her mouth to ask questions, but Wally held up his hand to stop her. “Mom’s sister had a son, that’s our cousin Len, and Lisa’s his half sister. Then there’s Mick, he’s Len’s…” he paused, trying to think what word Len and Mick used to describe everything that they entailed. “Partner.”

Iris clutched her hands together in glee. “How old are they? What do they do? I want to know everything.”

Wally fished his phone out of his pocket. He unlocked it and texted Lisa, before switching to the photos and scrolling back to find the pictures from Thanksgiving a couple of years back. He had scanned them onto his phone, even though at the time the pictures had been taken, he had been trying to grow facial hair when he was really too young for that and had instead been left with awkward patches on his face.

Iris snatched the phone from his hands, “Are these they?” She frowned at the picture. “They look kinda familiar. Have they been on the news?”

“I uh, don’t think so?” Wally stammered.

“That means they have. Don’t lie to me, Wallace.”

He flinched. “Don’t do that, you sound like Mom.”

His phone chimed. “Oh gosh! It’s from Lisa.”

Wally leaned over and grabbed his phone back, “Heh, this sounds like her. Okay, she says ‘Hell yeah do I want to meet my little cousin!’ She wants to know if you want to do like coffee or drinks?”

“Coffee.” Iris said without much thought. “Jitters would probably work?”

Wally smirked and shook his head. “Sure. I’ll give her your number and you guys can work out the details.”

Iris fiddled with her phone, waiting for a text from an unfamiliar number to appear. Wally watched her bemusedly.

“Lisa’s a pain.” He said. “You’ll probably get along with her just fine.”

“Are you suggesting I’m a pain?”

“Yes.” He opened his textbook again as she shoved him.

Her phone dinged and she swiped it open quickly. A text that she read as perky was waiting for her. She saved the number as a new contact, calling it ‘Cousin Lisa’, even before she read the message.

“This is Lisa. I’m certain Wally’s told you nothing about me ;) So coffee at Jitters? How’s Thursday?”

“Thursday,” Iris said, suddenly struck with how soon this would be. The possibility of her family growing again was striking and she did not know if she welcomed it or not. Ever since Grandma Esther had died it had been just her dad, and Barry, and now there was Wally and these cousins.

“I usually take a break around 2,” She typed back. “Does that work for you?” she wondered if she should have added a smiley, some token of familial affection. She does not want to fake something though.

“Just be yourself.” Wally said, “Can you pass me my calculator?”

She reached for it, watching the moving ellipses on her phone screen as she did so.

“2 will work perfectly. :D”

 ***

Thursday could not come too soon. She fretted over what to wear to work that morning. Iris wanted to make a good impression with her cousin, to seem fun, not stuffy the way some of her work outfits made her feel. Finally deciding on a bright top and coordinating scarf with her usual blazer and slacks, she left for work running an almost Barry-like five minutes behind schedule. She was distracted during the day, and ignored the suggestions that she take an early lunch to come back focused. It was times like these that she missed Linda being here. She would have been able to talk to Linda about her mixed feelings on meeting her long lost family.

At half past one, she saved the documents she was working on her computer, picked up her purse and walked the five blocks toward Jitters.

Her phone buzzed as she got to the door. She slid it open, reading the new message from Lisa. “I’m running a little late. Order me one of the Glider Smoothies please?”

Iris smiled at the message. Her cousin was coming. She stepped into line, glancing up at the menu. Jitters had really embraced the concept of being the Flash’s Favorite Coffeeshop. They had a sign proclaiming as such and with each successive named metahuman the Flash took down, the drink menu expanded by one. Of course the most popular drinks remained those of the Flash and his recurring villains, rather than the out of town heroes or villains that were dealt with so quickly that the papers barely had time to write more than a sentence about the perpetrator.

Iris smiled at the barista when she reached the front of the line, Jasmine had been working there for a month or so when Iris left. “One Flash and a Glider,” Iris said. She kept glancing over whenever the bells above the door rang; she was fairly confident she would recognize Lisa, but there was a world of difference between photography and real life. Wally had shown her the pictures on his phone and she still thought Lisa looked familiar, but just couldn’t place her.

She paid, left a tip, and took the drinks to one of the high tables by the side window where she could watch the door as she waited. She fidgeted with her phone. The standard buzz of Jitters in the afternoon was soothing. At CCPN, there was always a slight hubbub of activity in the open air office, but the amount of people watching available was much more restrained. Here, she could watch as people slid into line or met up with a date or a group already sitting down.

A tall woman, made taller by her high heeled boots which accentuated her long long legs, strode in carrying a motorcycle helmet under one arm. The woman looked around, and smiled when she saw Iris. She must be Lisa. Iris waved and the woman—Lisa—sauntered over.

“You must be Iris.” She said, putting her helmet down on the one of the chairs and hopping gracefully up into the other. “I’m Lisa.” She had a dazzling smile.

“Um, yes. I’m Iris,” She held her hand out to shake as though at an interview. “Wally’s been telling me so much about you.”

Her smile turned somewhat toothy. “Has he?” She drawled and reached for the drink Iris had gotten for her. “He was very surprised to learn about you.”

Iris glanced down and wished that she had pressured Wally to come with her and not just facilitate the meeting occurring. “Yeah, I don’t really know what our mom was thinking.”

“Aunt Fran had a lot going on at that time, but at least she never said you were dead.”

Iris flinched and took a sip of her latte. She still was not quite ready to completely forgive her dad for those lies.

Lisa drank as well and Iris was not really certain where to go from here.

Lisa’s foot tapped against one of the bars between the barstool’s legs and both of them fiddled with their drinks. “You know,” Lisa said, “We used to have playdates back when you were five or so.”

Iris grinned, “We did? Are there any pictures?”

Lisa shrugged. “If there are, Aunt Fran’s probably the only one who knew where they were. You could ask Wally. My side of the family never really got into the whole picture thing.”

“Where did this happen? What do you remember about it?” Iris leaned forward

“One of the playgrounds down near Forrest Road. It had a huge sandbox. Your mom would stick you in it and chat with my brother while we made sandcastles.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and laughed.

Something about the hair and the laugh connected the last final dots. “You’re _Golden Glider_.” Iris hissed.

“What?” Lisa looked startled and leaned back.

“Wait…that means. _Captain Cold is my cousin?_ ” Her voice squeaked.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lisa said.

“Sure, you don’t.” She said. “Oh god. Dad’s not going to be okay with this.” She didn’t say that she didn’t know if _she_ was okay with this.

Lisa laughed. “What Detective West doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” She offered.

“Wait, can I get an interview?” Iris put her panic aside. Lisa being Golden Glider could actually make her career. While everyone always wanted a quote from the Flash, Barry gave them out far too regularly for them to be novel, but an exposé on one of the Rogues, now that could get her far.

“I don’t know why you’d want to write something on me. The nearest I ever got to celebrity was in ice skating, and that never really took off.” Lisa pouted and twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

“You’re not going to convince me.” Iris said. “Just tell me.”

“The thing is, Iris,” Lisa said. “A deal was made that we’d stay away from the Flash’s friends and family. And I don’t believe anyone was really clear on whether that was in our personal lives as well as professional or not, so maintain reasonable doubt.”

“How do you know I know the Flash?” She asked, glancing around to try to tell if their conversation was going to get them overheard.

Lisa laughed. “I didn’t for sure, but you were on the list Len gave us.”

“Hold on, the Flash made Captain Cold promise to stay away from his friends and family, thereby telling Cold who the friends and family were? Oooh, I’m going kill him. That has to have been the least effective way of dealing with things.”

“Well…” Lisa began.

“And how far does ‘family’ go?” She demanded. “Is it just his family or is it the family of his friends, in which case does that mean you all need to stay away from each other? Because if it’s the second, you are technically my family. And is Wally on that list? He definitely counts you as family.”

Lisa laughed again. “I like you. Though if you want to discuss the finer points of the Flash’s deal, I’d rather we did it somewhere a little cozier.”

“You’ll tell me?”

“Sure, cuz.” She purred the words, “Anything to have another girl in the fam.”

“Oh my god.” Iris said, Wally’s stories beginning to come together in a different light now that she had a sense of who the cousins actually were. “Heatwave and Captain Cold. They’re like together.”

“Yep.” Lisa said, picking up her smoothie and helmet.

“But, whoa. Linda said they had to be based on how they fought, but like whoa.”

“Who’s Linda?” Lisa asked as Iris followed, picking up her own bag.

“A coworker.” Iris caught up in time to push the door open. “So where are we going?”

Lisa led the way to her motorcycle, bending over it to find a spare helmet. “Lenny’s real serious about safety.” She said as she handed Iris the helmet. “And we have options. There’s a safe house off of Yester Lane, or a bakeryon Broadway.”

“Bakery.” Iris said. She might be agreeing to go to unknown locales with _Golden Glider_ , but she was not about to go somewhere that was not public.


	2. Chapter 2

Lisa had been unsure about meeting Iris, this other cop’s daughter, her sort of cousin, but Wally, her darling cousin had asked and while he now owed her a favor or two more than he had before, she would always at least consider making an attempt to oblige him. That did not mean she had felt any need to arrive on time. Sure, it had been fun texting this friend of the Flash—ooh, did the Flash’s little sidekicks have a group name? She’d have to suggest some to Cisco the next time she encountered him. Maybe Lenny would help her come up with some puns at the Flash’s expense. He’d enjoy that.

She had been somewhat surprised to find her meeting with Wally’s sister set up for one of the notorious Flash hangouts of the city. Jitters’ Coffeeshop was almost as likely a place to have a run in with the Scarlet Speedster as Star Labs and everyone knew that was where his base was, but she agreed. Sure, Lenny had kept his word and never told them who the Flash was, but she and Mick weren’t dumb, they had it narrowed down, and Wally might’ve let slip that he had met the Flash. The kid had sounded giddier about it than Mick with fireworks on the Fourth of July.

But despite the slight concern that Iris would have told the Flash and dragged him along, she was intrigued by this family reunion. She had squeezed her motorcycle in between the side of a minivan whose meter was about to expire and the curb, generously tossing a few more quarters in for another hour or so. She did not check how long exactly. Lisa did check her hair in her rearview mirror, pouting at the wind tousled curls. Mick had told her once to carry a brush if she was going to whine about the damage done to her hair each time they went for a ride, but since she was usually just pretending with her vanity, she never took him up on that idea.

They chatted in Jitters. Iris recognized her with somewhat startling ease. She had been getting tired of the boys getting all the limelight, so she was pleased to see she was recognizable too, but really, talking about it in the middle of Jitters was a bit beyond acceptable risk.

The motorcycle ride to Broadway was quick, and parking there even easier than the double parking she had done at Jitters. The baker was a close friend and she had a free pass to leave her bike in the alley where their dumpsters were.

“So, cuz,” She said as she swung off the motorcycle and pulled her helmet off again. “What do you want to know?” She rummaged in one of the side compartments, pulling out her gold gun and sliding it back into the thigh holster where it belonged.

“So the Flash made a deal with you guys?” Iris asked, following Lisa off the bike and through the back door of the bakery. “How’d that happen?”

She grinned, “I don’t know the finer details, not being actually present, but it involved the Flash dragging Lenny off to the back of beyond and some negotiations regarding the secrecy of his identity.”

“So Cold knows who the Flash is?” Iris said, “Well, of course he does, he showed up at Joe’s house at Christmas.”

“He had Christmas with you guys? Do tell.” Lisa could never resist knowing what sort of nonsense her brother was getting himself involved in. And spending a holiday at Detective West’s house was definitely nonsense—especially one they didn’t celebrate. Though…did this mean West was the Flash? She had thought the bits of face sticking out the bottom of the cowl was white, but maybe it was some sort of fancy tech? If West was the Flash though, she was fairly certain Len never would have made a deal.

“He broke into my family’s house.” Iris sounded offended.

“It’s one of his more endearing habits.” Lisa said. She tapped the gun at her hip. It was nice being back in her part of Central—the part where no one dared look twice at someone carrying a weapon.

“What?” Iris spluttered for a moment, feeling somewhat shell shocked. She reminded herself that she was trying to get along with this woman. That she wanted to know more about her mother and the people Wally considered family, even if she desperately wished that the people Wally considered family weren’t so clearly criminals.

Lisa laughed. “He’s very good at B&E. Made quite the living on second story work until he broke his wrist for the third time.” The first and second times had both been before the two of them had left the house, and Lisa knew her smile faded a little at that recollection.

“Oh gosh. I called my cousin a homicidal maniac to his face.”

Lisa’s laughter was one of the few varieties of laughs that Iris would consider applying the term ‘bell-like’ to without considering it an exaggeration. “I wish I could have seen his face.” She said.

“He reviewed one of my articles and I called him a maniac.” Iris was not certain she could reconcile Wally’s stories about his cousins and how helpful they had been as he had grown up with the knowledge that all three were super villains.

“He’s been called worse.” Lisa offered. She led them through to a small table tucked in the corner of the kitchen. The baker nodded at them, continuing to knead the dough in front of him.

“And his mom was Francine’s sister?” Iris asked, wanting to get the familial relations straight. She could adjust to this. She would just have some black sheep cousins. Nothing wrong with that.

“Yeah, Aunt Fran was Cheryl’s sister. I never knew her. Even Lewis wasn’t a bigamist.”

“Did she die then?” Iris asked, hoping she did not trample over any boundaries.

Lisa nodded. “Yeah. I never really got a straight answer as to how, so I think you’re out of luck there.”

“That’s what City Hall’s Records are for.” She said. “There will be obituaries and death dates there.”

“Sounds boring.”

“Maybe a little. But it’s such important groundwork for doing family histories and really just fact checking recent history. Like remember last year when the DA’s office had that scandal? Marlene Anderson broke that open by starting in Records. There has to be a paper trail, even if it’s been covered and it’s enthralling to sort through it all.”

“Do you have like dance parties in there?” Lisa asked. “I’ve never heard anyone rave about a place like that unless they had killer fries or atmosphere.”

“Oooh, that’s a good idea. I’ll suggest it to my dad the next time he needs to suggest a place for the annual officers gala.”

Lisa frowned and one hand reached down to tap against the hilt of her gun.

“What about you?” Iris asked, completely gracelessly changing the topic. She did not want to accidentally alienate her new cousin. Purposeful alienation maybe, but she did not think that necessary. “Any hobbies?”

The passing baker’s assistant plopped a plate of croissants down between them and continued out into the front room.

“I teach a high heeled kick boxing class on Thursdays.” She picked a croissant up and tore off a chunk.

“High heeled kick boxing?” Iris asked. “How does that work?”

“Just the same as any other kick boxing, just with a mind to what footwear women might be wearing when they have need of their talents.”

“Sounds cool.” Iris said. She wanted to get back into a reporter mindset. It was easier if she could conduct this like an interview, rather than an awkward first meeting of cousins. She wondered if her dad knew about these familial connections, if it was another thing he had lied to her about along with her mother’s disappearance and Barry being the Flash. Wally had suggested Joe knew, or at least that the cousins had met Joe.

“You’re a reporter,” Lisa said, drawing out the words as though concerned that the conversation would end as soon as she finished her sentence.

“Yeah, I started a blog when the Flash first started running around, and his popularity managed to swing me a job at the Picture News.”

“What’d you do before that?”

“I worked at Jitters. English majors seem to collect there.”

Lisa nodded. “Probably closest to honest work I’ve done is as a truck driver.”

“Yeah?” Iris said, “That must have been tough to start out in.”

“A little lonely. But there were so many men telling me I couldn’t, I just had to.”

Iris grinned. “I like the sound of that. You know, when I started my Flash blog, he kept telling me it was ‘too dangerous’ and that I ‘didn’t know what I was getting myself into’ and the more he said that, just the more convinced I was I had to do it.”

“Men.” Lisa said, shaking her head. Her curly hair bounced elegantly against her shoulders. Iris watched the curls, almost mesmerized.

The baker walked by, stepping out for a smoke, and the movement broke the conversation. Iris fiddled with the hem of her shirt. Lisa continued to tear pieces off her croissant.

“This was fun,” Lisa began only to be interrupted by a flurry of noise from the front room, a scream, and the sound of broken glass.

They looked at each other and both sprang to their feet. Lisa hauled her gun out of her holster, and Iris looked around. It was a kitchen, there had to be a frying pan or rolling pin somewhere. Behind a basket of spoons by the oven, she saw a rack of baguettes cooling.

“Lisa!” She called as she snatched one up, “Can you gild this?”

Golden Glider grinned. “I like your thinking.” Her gun whirred and the baguette turned to metal in her hands.

Iris grinned back, “Let’s go.”

Lisa shouldered open the swinging door separating the kitchen from the front. She ducked low, dropping below the counter, and Iris followed, both taking positions on either side of the cowering barista. Lisa peeked out through the broken glass case of pastries. The barista’s knees were scrunched up to her chest as she sat on the floor. Iris gently put a hand on her shoulder.

“What happened?” She asked.

“This guy came in and started yelling at one of the customers. He threw a rock through the display case.”

“And then what?” Iris pressed. She saw Lisa stand up out of the corner of her eye.

“I ducked and the bell above the door rang. Then more people started yelling and they all left.”

“There’s a museum across the street.” Lisa said. “They have a traveling exhibit right now, and there looks like there’s a riot in the street. This is Bivolo’s MO. And I know he didn’t talk to Len first.”

“Your brother really is the supervillain crime boss, isn’t he?” Iris shook her head. That was something to examine later, for now though. “Bivolo? You mean Rainbow Raider? Let’s stop him.” She thwacked the baguette against the palm of her hand.

Lisa grinned wickedly. “Assuming I’m not wrong, make sure you don’t make eye contact.” She paused as she strode around the counter to attempt to get a better view from the front windows. Iris watched her reach into her pocket and pull out a small makeup mirror. Lisa flicked it open and showed it to Iris. “You know the myth of the Medusa? How she lost her head because that hero used a mirrored shield?”

Iris nodded. “We use mirrors to avoid Bivolo’s powers.” Iris dug in her purse, finding her own compact. She opened it and held it up. “This is going to be hard,” she said as she fiddled with the angle.

“A little practice and you’ll get used to it. Come on.” Lisa opened the door and looked around. She ducked a wild swing of an aluminum bat. One blast of her gold gun and the baseball bat was sandwiched to the wall. She knew the rules, no killing on her watch.

People were screaming, yelling insults about each others driving, and laying into one another with anything they had on hand.

“What do we do?” Iris asked, gaping at the mayhem.

“Bivolo’s going to be using the chaos to get to his target, my guess would be the rings in the royal jewelry exhibit. Small, easy to transport, and likely to have a buyer. We go into the museum, try to avoid the crowds, and stop him.”

“Got it.” Iris said. She so did not have it. There was a part of her saying she should call Barry, or her dad, or anyone with training for this, but she did not want to have to explain why she was hanging out with Golden Glider.

Lisa strode out into the street, seemingly immune to the wild attacks circling around her. She ducked and dodged easily around an attack. Iris was distracted, watching her cousin glide through the mayhem, her gun used only to gild shoes to the ground or send weapons flying away in sparkling arcs of glittering metal.

Iris tried to follow in her wake, but a hand landed on her arm. She swore. Tightening her hold on the baguette, Iris swung. It clattered solidly against the arm and the man released her, yelling obscenities of his own.

She looked for Lisa and did not see her. Thwacking her attacker with the baguette again, she jogged forward. Glints of gold, sparkling in the afternoon light left a trail of bread crumbs to follow. Iris pushed her way through the crowd, liberally using her bludgeon to separate assailants. She forged her way forward to stumble into a slight clearing around the doors of the museum.

It was a small, historic house museum, restored and kept up in the style of its time. The exhibit was here rather than somewhere more well secured mostly because the historic inhibitor had been a well known jeweler, rumored to have been involved in the creation of some of the pieces currently on display.

The doors were splayed open, gold freshly coated over the wood, pinning them to the inner walls. Iris angled the mirror gingerly. It would be faster without it, but she did not want to run the risk. The museum was quieter, almost eerily empty compared to the hubbub outside. The heels of her shoes clacked on the tile and she softened her steps. Lightly, on her toes, she walked toward the docent’s booth. Using the mirror, she checked for people and picked up a map. The exhibit was on the second floor.Two staircases led up to a balcony from the entrance hall she stood in. Tilting her head to follow the angle of the mirror, she looked up at the balcony. A banner, looking peculiar with its mirrored writing, hung over the railing.

The stairs arched gracefully up toward the landing. Iris began a careful walk toward the stairs on the left.

A door burst open and and she heard running feet. She held her mirror higher to see the back of the balcony—a man had just come out the exhibit doors, he had sunglasses on and carried a satchel. Lisa pursued him, slower with her mirror guided pace.

“Bivolo! You know what Cold said!”

“The city’s plenty large for all of us, Glider.” He flicked the sunglasses up and Iris could see a stream of blue head toward Lisa.

Lisa deflected it off her mirror and continued toward him. “You think this ruckus of yours won’t have attacked attention? This is Cold’s town, and he likes the Flash’s attention focused outwards, leaving us time to plan our heists. You’re showy and lack subtlety.” She fired her gold gun at him, smoothing out the surface below his feet and he slid forward into the balcony rail.

“It’s been real, Glider, but I have better things to do than be here when the Flash shows up.” Another blast of color seemed to ricochet off the mirror. Iris walked slowly toward the center of the room.

“Don’t worry about the Flash. Worry about me!” Lisa shot again and Rainbow Raider vaulted the railing. He landed heavily on all fours and Iris dropped the mirror. She swung the baguette. It knocked Bivolo back to the ground.

He pushed himself back up and she hit him with the baguette again. He stayed down that time.

Lisa slid down one of the bannisters. “Blindfold him with your scarf.”

Iris pulled her scarf loose and quickly tied it around Bivolo’s head. “What do we do now?” She asked.

“Here’s about when the ‘we’ ends.” Lisa began, checking Bivolo’s bag quickly. “Your friend the Flash will show up real soon, and I don’t plan on being here when he does.”

“What do I do about him though?” Iris asked, pointing at Bivolo with the baguette.

Lisa frowned, then shrugged. “There’s not an easy way to hide my involvement.” She said tapping her gun. “I can gild him to the ground and your friend can get him out?”

“If you don’t want the Flash to know, I can lie. We can come up with a cover story for it.”

Lisa nodded. “That’d be appreciated.” She walked over to the docent’s booth and quickly picked the lock.

“Are you leaving?” Iris asked. She stayed by Bivolo.

“In a minute.” Lisa called. She emerged from the booth with a set of stanchions. “We’ll tie him up with these. Then I’ll peace out and you can tell the Flash that Bivolo got me with his—“ She gestured vaguely with one hand.

“Thanks.” Iris said.

Lisa striped the ropes from the stanchions quickly and they tied Bivolo up with it.

“Nice to meet you, cuz.” Lisa gave Iris a mock salute and strolled off toward the crowd. “Call me.”

She had just gone out of sight when Barry ran in from the other direction.

“Iris!” He said in surprise, skidding to a stop that sent sparks jetting out in an arc. “Did you take Rainbow Raider down with a baguette?!”


	3. Chapter 3

It was a little over a week since she had met Lisa. A week of each of them texting each other very sporadically, mostly about baked goods. Iris's article about Rainbow Raider’s recent raid on the museum had had front page status, complete with a picture of the Flash and the thief together. It was Sunday night, and she sat along the side of the dinner table, Wally across from her, Joe and Barry on either side.

“So Dad,” Iris began as she reached for the potato salad. She had her recorder sitting in her lap, turned on and ready to go. “Wally was telling me about some of his and Mom’s holiday traditions.” She ignored the kick Wally gave to her ankle as he desperately shook his head at her.

They were having a family dinner, as they had recently begun doing every Sunday at Joe’s instigation. Iris, Wally, and Barry were always there, practically required to be if any of them wanted to continue camping out at his house instead of moving out. Iris had started apartment searching again; she wasn’t certain where Barry stood on that front; and Wally was saving money by not paying room and board at the college. Caitlin and Cisco sometimes came, Wally’s friend Jesse had come a couple of times, but none of them had made it today.

“Oh?” Joe raised his eyebrows, pausing as he ladled pasta onto his plate. He looked around the table, “We should do some. What are they?”

“Most of them involve the cousins.” She said and gestured vaguely with her fork.

“Cousins?” Barry asked, “We—you—there are cousins?” He sounded thrilled about this news.

Wally looked desperately at Iris. She grinned.

“If they’re family, then they’re welcome here.” Joe said decisively, passing the serving plate to Wally. Iris handed the potato salad on to Barry. “Leave some for the rest of us, Bar,” Joe said, getting distracted from the topic at hand.

“If we’re inviting more people over, won’t that risk my identity?” Barry asked. He liked not having to lie and all his friends knew by now. Iris wasn’t even mad at him anymore about the fact that he had lied to her for a year. Cisco and Caitlin liked being able to talk about their work casually and without fear of exposing more than they should.

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Iris said. “We’re all really good at keeping secrets.”

Wally made a strangled noise that he hastily played off as a cough.

“These cousins should come to one of these dinners.” Joe decided. “Wally, you should invite them.”

“Um…” Wally began, looking down at his plate.

“I think that’s a great idea.” Iris said. “I met our cousin Lisa at Jitters the other day, and she was fabulous.”

“Wait.” Barry said. “Was that the same day as when you beat Rainbow Raider up with a baguette?”

“Yeah, I would have introduced you, but you were busy being the Flash.” Iris grinned.

“But—“ Barry began, and winced. Iris wondered if that was in reaction to her kicking him or Wally kicking him.

“You got in a fight with the Rainbow Raider?” her dad asked and she wished she had kicked Barry before he had had time to mention this. “Iris, that man’s a menace. Are you all right? How long did it take Barry to get there?”

“No, she was fantastic!” Barry protested. “You should’ve seen her! She had a mirror in one hand to avoid eye contact and bludgeoned him with a baguette in the other!”

“I don’t want Iris having to bludgeon anyone with a baguette!”

“Dad, we all know I’m a better fighter than Barry, or at least before he got superpowers. You taught me.”

“Any of you want to teach me?” Wally asked, desperately making an attempt to hedge off the fight about Iris plunging headlong into trouble again.

“I’ll do it!” Iris said, “We can ask cousin Lisa to help. Did you know she teaches kickboxing?”

Wally coughed, choking on his pasta. A blur and Barry was patting him on the back almost before any coughing had begun.

When Wally's coughing subsided, Joe started talking about a concert he had been to recently. Wally glared at Iris, and she let the conversation drift away from talk of cousins and hidden family members.

When they had finished and Barry stood up to clear dishes in a blur of movement. That was another superhero name to chalk up to might have beens—the Blur.

“Help with the dishes, Iris?” Barry called, as he whooshed his way back through the dining room. She sighed and followed him into the kitchen. Joe and Wally’s conversation—something about what classes he was taking in the fall—trickled into the kitchen as Barry turned on the sink. He turned to her.

“Your cousin Lisa is the Golden Glider.” He said.

“Yeah, I was really surprised with how much I liked her.”

“Iris, did you just trick Joe into inviting _Captain Cold_ to the house?!” Barry hissed. He was beginning to vibrate with nerves and Iris wondered again how she had spent so long not realizing he was the Flash.

“You heard him, if they’re family, they’re welcome.” She said. She had her arms crossed over her chest and watched him steadily.

“But he’s like my nemesis!” Barry protested. “And Joe won’t approve.”

“You don’t choose family,” She said.

“Sure you do!” Barry said. “I mean, Joe chose me, and we chose each other. And Cisco and Caitlin, those were all choices. Family is definitely something chosen. And you don’t approve of Captain Cold like at all!”

Iris blinked, “That was because he had broken into the house.”

“But that’s what he _does_ , Iris. He goes around causing trouble everywhere!”

“Wally likes him.” She said. “Wally’s told me hundreds of stories about how helpful and amazing his cousins are. And I don’t want him to have to feel like he’s lying or sneaking around if he wants to go do things with them.”

Barry hung his head and Iris reached up to ruffle his hair. “Come on, Barry,” She said. “A dinner this uncomfortable will be well worth it.”

“I don’t know if Cisco and Caitlin would be okay with it.” He said. “They did both get kidnapped by Cold and Heatwave.”

“I’m willing to let bygones be bygones.” Iris lied. She held a grudge. She was well aware of the fact that she held a grudge. Grandma Esther had said that grudge holding was practically a family trait, back when Iris was eight and refusing to look at her father because he had curtailed trick-or-treating due to the weather. “And you were the one saying you thought he could reform.”

Barry groaned. “Dinner’s going to be so awkward.” It was one of the few things they could agree on.

“But it’ll be worth it for Dad’s face when he realizes.” Iris said.

“…Yeah. Do you think I should bring a camera?”He had perked back up and seemed set to plan for future shenanigans.

“Duh. Lisa’ll want a picture of Cold’s face too.”

Barry shuddered. “It’s so weird that you’re on a first name basis with Golden Glider. Cisco might be jealous.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “Come on, we should actually wash some dishes before Dad comes in wanting coffee.”

 

***

 

Wally came to her next, perhaps expectedly. “This is a bad idea, Iris.” He said. “I don’t want Joe to arrest them.” He had met her on her way home from work. She carried her notebooks in a bag slung over her shoulder and he had his hands shoved in his pockets.

“Wally, there are no outstanding warrants for any of them at the moment, I checked. And it’ll be worth it.”

“I can hang out with them outside the house. It’s not like we got together all that often to begin with.” He scuffed his shoes together.

“I think it’d be good for all of us to meet in a non-hostile environment. Think if Barry and Co-Len get along.”

Wally shrugged. “Do they need to have more than this truce? Like it works.”

“I want to know the people you and Mom consider family.” Iris said. “I know we didn’t grow up together, but,” She shrugged. “Is it so bad that I want to meet them?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you meeting them.” Wally protested. “I helped set up your meeting with Lisa. Just why do they need to meet Joe too? Hasn’t he already met them?”

“Not as our cousins.” Iris insisted.

“You can’t just spring this on them though.” Wally said. “Like sure, go ahead and surprise Joe—I mean, I think that’s a stupid idea, but you know him better than I do—but is Lisa even on board with this?”

“She thinks it’ll be funny. Which I’m aware isn’t the best reason for doing things, but I want the family together.”

“Do you have time for a detour on the way home, or will Barry and Joe freak out?” Wally asked, pausing at the crosswalk by Gates Avenue. It was not a turn they needed to take to head back home.

“We have plenty of time. They’re both at the precinct late tonight and they don’t have any say in when we get back.” Iris rolled her eyes, because, despite her words, the answer was Joe still maintained that his darling daughter needed to be very careful whenever she went anywhere in the city, in fact she should take him along, or Barry. She had convinced Barry of her self-sufficiency years ago, though he had needed some reminding after the whole particle accelerator thing.

“Then come meet the rest of your cousins.” The light changed and Wally started across the street.

Iris froze. She blinked and had to chase after him to catch up. “Wait what?”

“Len texted me an address earlier, and said I could bring someone.”

“But why is he trusting me?”

Wally stopped walking and looked at her. He was taller than her, even with her heels. “ _I’m_ trusting you, Iris. He’s trusting me.”

“Wally, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know.” Wally shrugged and kept going.

“I was just surprised. Lisa didn’t mention anything to me. Her last text just says something about a muffin shop she found.”

“There’s one across the street from this meeting place.” Wally sighed. “Did she say what her favorites there are?”

“Um…” Iris pulled out her phone and scrolled through her texts. “Not specifically. Mentions both chocolate and apples.”

“Okay. We’re going stop, and get muffins. Then we’ll cross the street, pay the cousins in muffins for entrance to this safe house, and then you can decide if you still think it’s a good idea to invite them to dinner with our police officer father.”

“You don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Joe’s got a pretty inflexible view of the law.” Wally hedged. Though he privately thought Joe was somewhat contradictory there, helping a vigilante and lying to his daughter as he does.

Iris sighed. He was right, but she still wanted to incorporate the cousins into her life, and let them stay in Wally’s. “How much further is it?” she asked instead.

The walk was nice. She enjoyed spending time with Wally, especially now that he had gotten past some of his initial anger at Joe. The day was cloudy, so the streets saw slightly fewer people than other days, but at least the heat stayed off. Wally led them off the main road and down a couple alleys.

“If you weren’t my brother I’d begin to be concerned about three turns ago.” Iris muttered as she stepped around a puddle that still hadn’t drained since the storm two days ago.

Wally laughed. “We’ll get Lisa to show us out, she’ll take us more directly.”

The shopfronts they had come to were some Iris had never been to. She doubted she had ever actually made it to this part of Central at all. There was a dusty glass paneled window with an aged wooden sign in the shape of a muffin hanging from a creaky iron bar just by the entrance.

In short order, they left the bakery in possession of a baker’s dozen worth of muffins. If they weren’t as good as they looked, Iris figured Barry would probably eat them anyway. She remembered when he used to be more discriminating about food, but ever since he became the Flash, he had given up his picky eating habits.

She followed Wally across the street where he rapped on a plain white door with a green doorknob. There were no windows along this wall, just a brick wall distinctly in need of a fresh coat of paint. The door opened and Lisa stood there, her arms flung open in greeting.

“Wally! Iris!” She exclaimed. “My favorite cousins!”

“Aren’t we your only cousins?” Wally muttered, walking in past her.

“Oooh, you brought muffins.” Lisa turned her attention to Iris. “Hand them over.”

“Is this a robbery?” Iris asked. She offered the bag over and came in at Lisa’s gesture.

“Len and Mick here?” Wally asked.

The door opened onto a densely packed hallway, bulging cardboard boxes lined the walls and the low ceiling made the whole place seem cavernous.

“Of course.” Lisa said. She rolled her eyes and took the lead. They walked down the hall to a small door with a crooked number on it. Lisa opened it. On the other side was one room, with a hardwood floor, a matching coffee table, and a set of plush armchairs. A rack against the back wall had the cold, heat, and gold guns resting against it. There was no other furniture. Captain Cold sat in the armchair facing the door, Heatwave in the one to his left. Both of them were in their costumes.

Iris stopped just inside the doorframe. Wally began to wander around the edge of the room, checking for any signs of decor, or permanent residence.

“Really?” Iris said, “It’s June, and you’re still wearing that dumb parka.”

Heatwave laughed, the sound almost a roar. “

Lisa put the bag of muffins on the table. She glared at the other two. “Drop the act, Mick.” She said.

Heatwave shrugged and seemed to relax into a person rather than a caricature of a henchman. “You’re Wally’s sister.” He said to her.

Iris nodded. “And you’re Heatwave. Are we just going to stand around stating the obvious or was there a point to all this?”

“What is this place?” Wally asked. He had circled around so that he was almost back to the front door and Iris.

“A rendezvous point.” Captain Cold said. He shifted in his chair, relaxing his pose into a more comfortable lounge. “Not everyone gets invited back to our safe houses.”

Lisa smirked and waggled her eyebrows. “I invite plenty back.”

Cold’s face twitched and Iris laughed. He turned an affronted look on her. “You look like my dad whenever I talk about going on a date.”

Wally grinned, “That was a very dad face.”

Cold’s face twitched again and Lisa laughed as she flung herself down on one of the chairs. “Len, meet our cousin Iris. Though I’ve heard you’d visited her at Christmas—and didn’t bring me with.”

“That’s true.” He said.

Wally grabbed Iris’ hand and tugged her down into one of the seats. Sometime during Cold’s posturing, Heatwave had taken out a muffin and started munching on it.

Cold steepled his hands just in front of his face and stared at Iris. She crossed her arms and glared.

“Wow, if conversation’s this riveting here, how’s it going to be when the whole ‘family’ gets together for dinner?” Lisa gestured with her words.

Wally groaned. “I still think it’s a bad idea.” He said.

“What family dinner?” Mick asked, he looked suspiciously around his muffin.

Iris sighed. “I’m here in part to extend a dinner invitation.”

“A dinner invitation.” Cold, and possibly she should start thinking of him as Len, said, teasing each word out in a drawl. “What’s the occasion?”

“Ever since Wally came to town, my dad’s been insisting on family dinners every week.” Iris began.

“Your dad. The cop.” Cold sounded unimpressed.

“He is the person I usually mean when I say ‘dad’ yes.” Iris said. She reached forward and grabbed a raspberry muffin for herself.

Lisa turned interested eyes on her cousin. “That meant to insinuate something?” she asked

“What? No!”

Wally interrupted, “Iris tricked Joe into inviting you all to dinner and she wants you to come.”

Mick looked about to drop his muffin and looked toward Cold. “I’m not eating dinner with some cop.” Mick said.

“He’s not just ‘some cop,’” Iris protested.

Wally hunched himself up in the armchair he had claimed and looked uncomfortably around.

“You’re right.” Cold said. “He’s not just some cop. He’s the cop my Aunt Fran left because he wasn’t going to help her through her addiction.”

“That’s not fair.” Iris said.

Cold shrugged. “Aunt Fran said it, not me.”

“So it’s pointless?” Iris asked. “You’re not willing to put aside differences so I can learn about my mom? So Wally can hang out with both sides of his family?”

Wally shook his head, eyes wide. “Iris.”

Lisa patted him on the shoulder.

“You make it sound like it’s all on us.” Cold shook his head. “You know, I wasn’t even invited to the wedding? Oh Fran tried, but this would have been just after Lewis made the switch from dirty cop to mob member and all the lies about undercover work couldn’t save him; and Joe West, good old Detective West, didn’t want anyone affiliated with that at his wedding.”

“Look, my dad won’t make a scene if you show up.” Iris insisted. “And it’ll serve him right for keeping this all a secret.”

“How good a cook is he?” Mick asked. It felt abrupt and Iris wondered if the question was mostly to gain Co—Len some time to answer.

“Pretty good.” Wally said. “Your burgers are better.”

Mick grunted, satisfied.

“What if we did a potluck?” Lisa suggested. “Not at your house. Somewhere neutral.”

“What, like Keystone?” Wally asked. “You’re not going to find a good neutral anywhere in Central.”

“Star Labs.” Len said. He stood up and reached for a muffin of his own. Iris noted he took one of the chocolate chip ones. “All those floors, all that dreadful security. And if you’ve gotten the Flash to think this is a worthwhile venture, it’s on him to keep the deal. You can tell Scarlet I said that.”

“So you’ll come?” Iris asked.

“So Star Labs next Sunday?” Lisa asked, making an attempt to end the continuing stare down between Len and Iris.

Len shook his head. “Two Sundays from now. We’ve got that thing next week.”

“No.” Iris said. “I checked. There are no outstanding warrants _now_ , if you change that…”

Len smirked. “Don’t worry, cuz. We won’t change that.”

“Two Sundays,” Lisa confirmed. “And so long as there’s no Flash suit, there’ll be no guns. Our word.”

Len frowned. “Have your dad leave his service weapon behind too.”

“Sounds fair.” Iris said. If something did go wrong, they would be in Star Labs and Barry could always renege on the agreement.

“Text Lisa any details.” He said. “We probably won’t have anything better to do.” He turned away and picked up his cold gun before tapping a particular panel on the back wall and opening a sliding door. He slipped away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the reason this is delayed is b/c as I was checking it over before posting, I realized it didn't really end, and was trying to give it something of an end, which still hasn't really happened.

Joe and Barry had been busy all week investigating a jewel heist that had left remarkably little evidence. It was a more traditional break in—not marked by any of the signatures the various costumed criminals had begun to adopt. No ice, gold, or ash was left at the scene, just a locked door heist and missing diamonds.

Iris was suspicious, but mostly made it a policy not to contribute to the detecting portions of her family’s jobs. If she wasn’t going to get an article out of it, they could do their job on their own, especially since they always acted as though they didn’t need any assistance to begin with.

Her dad seemed a little excited about the dinner, maybe a little nervous too. She was not used to thinking of her father as someone who could be nervous. He was dependable, always had a plan, but she could see the nervous tension in his arm as he tossed the potato salad. She had a bag full of hamburger buns and similar bread products and Barry had promised to get a grill to Star Labs somehow. Hopefully he would still remember despite the case and all.

Wally and Barry were going to meet them at the labs, so after wrapping the salad twice with plastic wrap, she and Joe headed out to his car.

Wally had remained adamant that Joe needed some amount of heads up, if only so the dinner with the cousins did not result in being completely hostile. She agreed—somewhat. Yes, she thought she needed to tell Joe, if only to ward off any explosive reactions, but no, she did not know how to broach the subject with him. And she had been trying since Thursday.

The ride over was filled with chatter about work. Joe remained as tight lipped about details of his cases as usual, but Iris was happy enough to talk about the articles she was working on about the gentrification of Central City’s boardwalk district and the culture articles about superheroes, meta humans, and other strange and peculiar things. She still was not certain she liked being known at the CCPN as ‘the Flash reporter’ but at least she was no longer considered _just_ ‘the Flash reporter.’

They arrived at Star Labs and made it into the elevator, all without Iris managing to tell Joe what as up. She scratched the bridge of her nose as she thought. The elevator rose past the level of the cortex. “Hey, Dad,” She began. She wondered a bit if Lisa, Len, and Mick had arrived before or after Barry and Wally, and if all five were here now or just one group. It would be convenient if she and Joe were the last to arrive, since she could trust Wally and Barry to make nice with the cousins. Wally was the one who considered them family after all and she was fairly certain Barry thought this was going to help with his little dream of reforming criminals.

“Yeah, honey?” Joe said. He sounded distracted.

“You’ve um, met my cousins before.” She thought that would be an accurate way of wording it. Not precise, but accurate.

“Have I?” He frowned, thinking about it. “I don’t think I ever met your mother’s family. Frankie did tell me about her sister, but Cheryl died before I met your mom.”

“I don’t think you would’ve recognized them as Mom’s family at the time…”

“What’s that supposed to mean? That I don’t remember them? Iris, our entire family is remarkable. If they’re anything like you and Wally, I’d remember them.”

The elevator doors opened in front of them.

“Oh, I think you’ll remember them.” Iris said, shaking her head as she stepped out into the hallway.

Joe followed. “Iris, I don’t understand.”

Iris took a deep breath and paused in front of the doors to the room Barry had appropriated as a dining hall. It was the closest one to the kitchen, a room kept well stocked with food for whenever the Flash might needa snack. She knew Cisco and Caitlin helped themselves to that food as well, especially when neither wanted to return to their quiet apartments. “Dad,” Iris said. “My and Wally’s cousins, are Barry’s Rogues.” She pushed open the door, revealing the room and the occupants on the other side.

The room was surprisingly brightly decorated, walls painted a dusky rose and festooned with yellow streamers. There were balloons—some surprisingly labelled for other events, graduations, birthdays, and so forth—superhero themed balloons. She recognized the Flash’s symbol, and the green ones with the bow were equally unambiguous. Mixed in were gold ones, and ones in blue with a snowflake on them, and red ones with fire, almost lost among the lightning bolt ones.

Lisa was setting the table with similarly styled paper goods. She would hold one up, grinning, and ask the others if they _really_ thought the Flash’s suit was that tight, or was it a suggestion from the marketing people. Len seemed to have settled into a permanent smirk and there was a collection of cookies that looked like the sort Iris had seen at that muffin store settled in the center of the table. Barry’s the one Lisa’s displaying the plates to, his face turning red at the innuendo she’s making toward the drawings of the costumed heroes.

There’s a door out to a balcony in the rear of the room and she can hear a low rumble of voices, the barest suggestion of them more than actual proof.

“Iris!” Lisa called, interrupting her explanation on why, if the Arrow’s biceps are actually that large, she would be able to identify him in his civilian identity.

“Hey, Lisa,” Iris said, feeling subdued. She walked in, and put her bag down on the table. She resisted the urge to check over her shoulder and see if Joe was right behind her. She had left him speechless in the hallway, but as she set her bag down, she heard him approaching. He paused, stunned in the doorway. Lisa flicked her gaze over Iris’ shoulder, frowning. She glanced back at Iris, then toward her brother. Len stood up, and Barry looked ready to run.

“Detective West,” Len drawled. “Or should I say, ‘Uncle Joe’?” He sneered.

“Really?” Iris said. “I thought we discussed civility? No taunts until after the meal?”

“Snart.” Joe said, ignoring Iris’ remarks. “I wasn’t expecting you here.”

Len shrugged, expansively. “What can I say, Detective? There’s nothing better than family.”

“You murdered your father.”

There was the sound of crumpling paper. Iris glanced at Lisa. She crunched the plate in her hand, the image of the Arrow folding in around itself, leaving one end of his bow and the last letter of the label on the plate visible.

“Allegedly.”

Iris walked around to Barry. “Go get Wally,” She hissed. He walked off, making a conscious effort with every step not to run.

“We have a witness!”

“Oh, does the Flash make court appearances now?” He asked. “Witness statements, gives testimony, and all that? I would have thought there’d be more concerns about his private prison, or vigilantism when he first showed up in a court room.”

“Your little gun’s as good as a signature.”

“That thing’s not at all little.” Lisa interrupted, This was not going at all well. Iris had expected as such, but had hoped Joe would hold off his anger until later.

“I don’t want you having anything to do with my son.” Joe said.

“You don’t get to decide that, Dad.” Iris said.

Cold, and she could no longer see the personable man she had been beginning to thaw to—just the calculating mask of a supervillain—, smiled. “You haven’t changed. Said the same thing to Francine. You’ll drive your whole family away like that, Detective. Dictation has really gone out of style.”

The door in the back reopened and Wally, Mick, and Barry came back. Barry had maintained his deer-in-the-headlights look and Iris could see the tension in the other two.

“Joe,” Wally said, “Is that your potato salad? Barry was telling me all about it.”

She owed Wally a hug. The conversation segue had been utterly graceless, but hopefully sufficient that they could forestall any explosive conversations until later. Maybe after dessert.

“Your grandmother’s recipe.” Joe said, the hint of pride evident whenever he brought up Grandma Esther’s cooking. She had heard all the tales of her grandmother teaching her dad to cook. And maybe her dad was willing to at least attempt this, since he let Wally’s distraction work. She still was unsure about Cold, though Lisa’s texts and off-hand stories did cast him as a friendlier person when he wanted to be. Iris just did not think she could trust that he would want to be.

She looked around the room. A momentary peace held. Mick and Barry were putting the food down on a table to the side, Barry grinning and Mick grousing as he shoved an elbow at him. She blinked. That was an unexpected relationship. Cold and Wally were talking, over by the drink cooler. Wally clearly joking about something by the grin on his face and his gestures. Joe hovered, hesitating between the competing needs to interfere in both Wally’s and Barry’s conversations.

Dinner itself was dreadful. She and Barry spent the entire thing interrupting Joe before he said something too insulting, and Lisa and Mick did the same thing with Len. Halfway through she glanced over at Wally only to see him texting Jesse. Some shorter event probably would have been wiser. She refused to regret this though. Growing up she had thought herself willing to deal with family fights at holidays over politics or the like if it meant she had more relatives, but now she was hurriedly repressing the thought that the tension present in the room was not worth it.

Mick and Len excused themselves to dismantle the grill, and Barry began—slowly—to gather up the trash. Iris and Lisa began to package up leftovers.

Lisa dropped an elbow onto Iris shoulder. “Work out as desired?” she drawled, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers.

Iris shrugged. “I don’t know. It might be better than expected, but not what I was hoping for.”

“Sometimes that’s all family can be. Better than expected, but not what you hoped.” Lisa tapped the lid of a tupperware container against the table. “I’ll keep trying, with you and Barry. Your dad’s going to have to put in a little more effort on his part to get the rest of us on board.”

“Barry seems like he’s getting along well with Mick.” She said, avoiding the comment about Joe. Wally had been right. She should have told him sooner. Maybe if he had time to acclimate himself to the idea he would not have taken it so poorly. But then again, he had kept her curfew at eight until she had moved out and then back in, so perhaps there was no acclimating.

“I’m as surprised as you are.” Lisa grinned. “But Mick always likes those who eat his food as heartily as Barry just did.”

“Barry just looked thrilled to have found a cook as good as Mick.”

“If I’m reading my boys right, I’m pretty certain Mick’d cook for him again.”

“I wanted this to work out,” Iris said, “At least a little.”

“It has.” Lisa shrugged.”No one shot anyone else, and the younger generation is definitely going to be okay on this front.”

“Just my dad and Len.”

Lisa patted the top of Iris’ head. “Len’s fine with the rest of you.”

“Lisa,” Len called, stalking across the room toward them. “Mick and I are going.” He jerked his thumb back toward Mick who was shaking hands with Barry. “Iris.” He nodded at her, “This could be repeated.”

Iris blinked. She wasn’t entirely sure what expression was on her face, but by the twitching of her cheeks, not one used often. “I’m glad to hear that.” She said. “Barry’s birthday is in March, maybe we should have a family event then?”

Len smirked. “We’ll see. We do have day jobs.” He stuck a hand out awkwardly.

Iris ignored it and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you.” She said. “For coming.”

She could feel his shrug, tight and stilted, and she stepped back.

He gave another nod, before turning to Mick and tilting his head toward the door. Mick extracted himself from his conversation with Barry and the two supervillains left.

Iris checked around the room. Joe’s shoulders seemed to have relaxed slightly with the departure, but he frowned as he looked at Lisa and Iris. Barry and Wally were both still in fairly high spirits, and Iris wanted them to stay that way.

“Jitters, Monday?” Lisa said, as she slid a tupperware of pie into her bag.

“Lunchtime, don’t forget.” Iris replied. The two women hugged before Lisa left through the main door. Iris sighed and turned to look at Joe.

“I don’t appreciate this being sprung on me.” He said.

Barry and Wally quieted in the background.

“I realize.” Iris said. “I just didn’t know how not to spring it on you.”

“We’re discussing this later.” Joe left, taking the side door.

Wally pinched the bridge of his nose.

“It’ll work out.” Barry insisted, “It’ll be like that time when we met my grandmother and she didn’t like Joe. Everything worked out fine there!”

“Barry.” Iris said. “Your grandma died before she got along with Joe.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry Wally, I hoped it would go better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joe & Len essentially both have complicated feelings about this situation that I don't have confidence in my ability to do either of their voices justice, so if anyone wants to write their opinions of the matter, feel free to.


End file.
